Saving Me from the Ledge
by Wishing On A Falling Star
Summary: Isabella Swan is a first class girl on the Titanic. She happens to be saved from jumping overboard by a third class boy named Edward Masen. A forbidden romance between two unlikely people is being thrown out into the deep end.
1. Ship

**disclaimer.:. I do not own Twilight or the saga for that matter. I do in fact wish I owned Edward Cullen or Leonardo DiCaprio.**

**warning.:. Some people don't like stories where everyone is all human and there are no vampires. Well, this is one of those stories. So, for you people, stop reading or give it a chance. Hey, who knows? You just might like it. You never know until you try it.**

I might be a rich girl, but I hate being one. I'm engaged to a man that I don't love, I just don't show it. Jacob Black.

He's a nasty man who isn't nice to anyone except rich ones. Nobody likes him, except my mother that is. It's just because he's rich and all my family's money is gone into oblivion. He doesn't seem to happy when I talk to other men without him there. He's an American and I'm a British girl.

Today we're getting on a ship called _Titanic_. It's one of the largest ships out there. I'm not nervous that is. It's just spending all this time with Jacob isn't one of my favorite pass times. He doesn't pay attention to me unless I'm being talked to by him or anyone else. I'm a woman, that means I'm lower than him, I guess. He's an obnoxious man, and I know that he doesn't love me. He just acts like it, because he's an old family friend. Who I happen to be marrying.

I sit here watching my maids pack my bags, since I gave up on trying to get them to let me help. It is my clothing.

"Madame, are you sure you don't want to bring this dress?" Clara, one of my maids, held up a yellow dress that I wasn't fond of at all.

"I'm sure. I've never liked that wretched dress. I think you should have it, Clara. You deserve something from me, since you won't let me give you a hand with all of this." I told her.

"No, madame, I couldn't do that." She looked down at the dress, adoringly.

"I insist. Maybe, you'll find you're one true love while I'm away. You have to promise you will write to me when you do find him. A lucky man he will be." I got out of the chair I was sitting in and walked over to her. "Take it."

Clara looked down at the dress again. "Thank you, Isabella."

I laughed. "What have I told you?"

"Oh, right. Bella." She corrected herself.

"You know you should try it on. I bet it will look gorgeous on you." I played with a stray strand of my dark brown hair.

"Let me fix that for you." Another maid of mine, Elizabeth, came up behind me.

"Oh, no. I can do it."

Elizabeth shook her head at me disapprovingly. She took my shoulders in her small hands, and led me over to where my vanity mirror was. Everything in my room was so elegant and so expensive. I would never mention this to my mother, but I spend plenty of my time in the maids corridor. Clara and Elizabeth have become my only friends since finishing school.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I was so plain for a rich girl, or at least that's what I thought. My long dark chocolate hair matched my eyes. The pale skin didn't do much for me seeing that I lived in a somewhat sunny place.

Clara was still packing my things while Elizabeth brushed through my hair with one of the many hairbrushes stashed away in my drawers. I kept reminding myself that this was their job and if I refused, they would feel offended. Even if they were my friends.

"Where is my lovely fiancée?" Jacob walked in my room. I had to mentally remind myself not to roll my eyes. "Are you ready to go? We still have to make the ship. It will not wait for us, dear."

"Everything is almost packed, sir. Just a few more dresses and she'll be ready to go." Clara answered him. "I have to go find Jack. He will need to get these bags down to the car."

"Bags?" I asked astonished that I had more than one bag packed.

"Yes, madame. You are not coming back here. You'll be in America." Elizabeth answered _my_ question this time.

"Oh." I turned towards Jacob, trying not to mess up what Lizzy was doing with my hair. "I'll be down in a moment."

He nodded, and walked away.

"I can't believe I have to marry him. He's so unbelievably fake." I mumbled mostly to myself, but I heard Lizzy snicker behind me.

"I think he'll make a wonderful husband, Bella. Don't worry, you'll be happy in no time." She curled one of my curls around her finger.

I sighed. "I hope you're right."

...

_Titanic_ was huge. Bigger than any ship I had seen in my eighteen years. Everything about it was new and exquisite. Elegant was another word to describe it.

There were so many people boarding it that it was hard to maneuver through the crowds. Even more people were surrounding the ship just to get a glimpse at it before it left port. It was amazing how so many people were in awe of this boat.

"Come, love, we need to board." Jacob whispered in my ear, grabbing a side of my waist.

He pulled me through the crowds to the man checking tickets. We had to cross a platform to get onto the boat. I couldn't help, but look down and get a gut feeling that something good was going to happen soon.

I remembered what Elizabeth had said: _you'll be happy in no time._

Those words kept going through my head as I heard one of the officers yelling at two boys. I only caught a glimpse of one of them who was entering below me on a lower platform. They were entering the lower classes cabins. The boy that I saw had light blond hair.

"Come, dear. Don't dawdle, it isn't lady like." My mother guided me onto the ship. She looked annoyed of me.

"Don't dawdle." I mocked her under my breath. I knew that it was rude and very not like me, but I couldn't help it.

"Coming, Mother." I answered her instead.

The boat was very large and bright. It was the most beautiful thing that I had ever seen.

...

Dinner came and went. We were all sitting at the table along with Mrs. Brown⎯a woman who is richer than anyone in the world. Peter Andrews, the man who designed the boat and made all of this come true. Alex Graves, the publicist for the boat. And lastly, the countess and her husband. Everyone was talking about some oil dig in Alaska.

"Excuse me." I slid my chair out from underneath the table, setting my napkin down on the table.

"Isabella!" Jacob called after me, but I didn't turn around.

I walked out of the double glass doors that lead out onto the deck. I was standing on the second story deck looking down at the multiple first level decks. There was a man sitting down, drawing on a piece of paper. He had bronze colored hair.

I looked away before I was caught by someone. It was never proper to stare at someone, especially a man. Then, I started getting a weird feeling; someone was watching me. Quickly, I glanced at the lower deck where I saw the bronze haired boy looking up at me with an awed expression.

_Don't let a bug fly in your mouth._ I thought to myself. I let out a little laugh, but tried to cover it up.

"Isabella, what are you doing out here?" Jacob walked up behind me. He wrapped a protective arm around my waist.

For some reason, I felt angered by this gesture. Usually, I just felt annoyed, but I never felt angered by it. Does it have something to do that the bronze haired boy is watching me right now?

"I was getting some fresh air. I started to get a little light headed in there." I replied, never being a good liar.

"Shall we go back inside?" Jacob gestured with his other hand to walk back into the large dining area.

Mother was standing up⎯waiting for us, I suppose⎯she never was the one to have patience. Father used to keep her intact until he passed away from pneumonia.

"Where did you go, Isabella Marie Swan?" My mother hissed into my ear with a fake smile plastered on her face.

"Don't worry, mother. You'll give yourself a nose bleed." I replied back, not as harshly as she had.

"I'm going back to my room." She announced to everyone.

"I shall follow behind in a few minutes." I told her, meaningfully.

"You should stay with Jacob. Mingle." Mother dismissed anymore discussion about that.

Everyone was starting to get on my nerves on this dumb ship. They were all being imbeciles that didn't know anything better than what they had plastered in their brains from finishing school. I wasn't like them. I had dreams.

"I'm going to bed, darling." I told Jacob, placing my hand on his shoulder.

"Okay, I'm going to have a little brandy and a cigar with the men." He told me, kissing me on the forehead.

I nodded in understanding, thanking everyone that he wasn't coming back so soon.

I walked back to the room at a slow pace, watching where I walked in the long red dress of mine. Mother insisted on me wearing this for our first night on the ship, she said that it would make a good impression on everyone else.

I _hated_ that dress. It was horrid.

That night I went to sleep on the hard bed of the first class cabin, which was the size of my bedroom at home. The rocking of the ship really helped soothe me to sleep though. Jacob slid into bed at about midnight.

The next day changed my life.

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**The next chapter will be more exciting. Don't worry. This is where Edward will meet Ms. Isabella Swan.**


	2. Over the Ledge

Dinner again with the Horribles. That's what I've started calling them. All they can talk about is money and when their next paycheck is coming or their inheritance. It was obnoxious that they could be so oblivious to what else life has to offer other than money.

That's why their them and I'm me. I could care less about money... if I had a choice. Which I don't. Forcing me to marry Jacob Black is what is making my life so miserably horrible. He comes with even more Horribles than there is in front of me.

Dinner was becoming a wreck as I saw my future being played out in front of me. I would be one of these women who is going to be obsessed with money, dresses, and what their maids can do for them.

_Is this really what I'm going to end up being? A girl who can't even speak for herself when asked a question? Her fiancée has to speak for her, afraid that she'll say something that will offend someone?_

NO, DAMMIT! I am an individual and if they can't see it, who will?

I stood up from the dinner table, making a lot of noise while doing it. Jacob looked up at me from where he was sitting. He gave me a stern look that was supposed to scare me into sitting back down. I wasn't having it.

I made my way out of the dining area, and once I was out the double doors, I bolted. There wasn't any place to run to since I was confined on a moving ship crossing the Atlantic Ocean.

I ran to nowhere with tears streaming down my face. There were plenty of stairs that I had to go up and down to get towards the back of the ship. I was mostly surprised that I didn't trip and fall with my heels on since I'm such a klutz. Jacob never lets me forget it.

Once I reached the back of the ship, I made my way over to the railing. There was a phrase going through my head: _jump, then nobody can boss you around anymore. Nobody can take your rights away once your far away from them._

At the moment, I though it was the best idea in the world. Just looking over the ship was thrilling.

I put my foot on the first rail hoisting myself up a tiny bit. Then I put it on the second one, third, and then pulled myself of the railing. My hands gripped onto the rail behind me for dear life.

My body was anxious to get away from the rail, to feel the wind going over my yellow dress. The air was cold, and it wasn't very pleasant to feel it against my skin. But I didn't care, I was on such an adrenaline rush.

"Don't do it." Someone said behind me.

I turned to see the bronze haired boy that I saw on the boat deck and the platforms. He was wearing a gray button up shirt with tan suspenders holding up his tan pants. The top buttons were unbuttoned on his shirt, he was wearing a white undershirt that reached right below his elbows.

"Stay back! Don't come any closer!" I yelled over my shoulder. I didn't want him or anybody else to stop me.

"Come on, just give me your hand. I'll pull you back over." He treated this as if it were a joke.

"No, stay where you are! I mean it! I'll let go!" I warned him as a precaution.

He walked slowly towards me, gesturing that he was going to look over the edge of the boat. "No, you won't."

"What do you mean, "no, I won't"? Don't presume to tell me what I will and will not do, you don't know me." He had no right to do that. He was very handsome yes, but he didn't have any right. He was a third class passenger, though that made no difference to me.

"Well, you woulda done it already." He answered, sticking his hands in his front pockets.

"You're distracting me! Go away!"

"I can't. I'm involved now. You let go, and I'm, I'm 'onna have to jump in there after you." He shrugged.

"Don't be absurd. You'd be killed!" I told him as if he was an imbecile.

"I'm a good swimmer." As if that had to do with anything.

"The fall alone would kill you." I reminded him.

"It would hurt. I'm not saying it wouldn't. Tell you the truth, I'm a lot more concerned about that water being so cold." He was taking his boots off now.

_Oh god, he's seriously going to come in after me?_ I thought, looking away from him down to the water.

"How cold?"

He looked down at the water too, some of his bronze hair falling in his face. "Freezing. Maybe a couple degrees over. You ever, uh, you ever been to Illinois?"

"What?" I looked back over at him.

"Well, they have some of the coldest winters around. I grew up there, near Chicago. I remember when I was a kid, me and my father, we went ice fishing out on Lake Michigan. Ice fishing is, you know, where you..."

"I know what ice fishing is!" I snapped. I wasn't a complete finishing school girl.

"Sorry. You just seem like, you know, kind of an indoor girl. Anyway, I, uh, I fell through some thin ice; and I'm telling you, water that cold, like right down there..." He gestured towards the dark water. "It hits you like a thousand knives stabbing you all over your body. You can't breathe. You can't think. At least, not about anything but the pain. Which is why I'm not looking forward to jumping in there after you."

I looked at him. He intrigued me for some reason. The boy looked up at me, leaning against the rail. He knew that I was caving in, and wasn't going to jump at this point.

"Like I said," he continued, "I don't have any choice. I guess I'm kinda hoping you'll come back over the railing, an' get me off the hook here."

"You're crazy." I needed to put up a little more fight.

"That's what everybody says but, with all do respect, Miss, I'm not the one hanging off the back of a ship here. Come on. C'mon, give me your hand. You don't want to do this." His voice was so smooth that I couldn't resist even if I wanted to.

He reached his hand forward, offering to to me. I, hesitantly, made my hand move into his strong hold. An electric shock ran up my arm from his simple touch.

"Whew! I'm Edward Masen." He introduced himself from the other side of the railing.

"Isabella Marie Swan." I answered.

He smiled a crooked smile at me.

"Come on over the railing now." Edward started lifting me over the railing.

I took one of my feet off of the edge of the boat, and put it on the first rail. My dress slipped underneath my foot and made my whole body drop towards the water. Thank god Edward was there. He held me there with his hand, not dropping me.

"Hold on. Don't let go!" He yelled down to me.

I nodded my head, a scream broke out of my mouth as the water sprayed up at me a bit.

"Edward! Please!" I screamed.

"Hold on." He soothed me, pulling me up a bit with one arm.

He brought his other hand to grip over his other hand. I was up and over the ships rail with little effort on his part.

I was in his arms, gripping his neck, when he fell to the ground. He landed on top of me, but sat up once a few ship members came over to us. I was lying there stunned on the floor while he was sitting next to me with his hands on his thighs.

"What's all this?!" Someone yelled, but it sounded far away.

I thought of how this must look from a bystanders point of view. It looked as if Edward was going to rape me on the back of the boat. Who in their right mind would really think that?

"Stand back!" I felt Edward being lifted from my side. "Don't move an inch! Fetch the Master At Arms."

Someone's boots made a lot of noise as they ran off.

I finally got the feeling back in my body. My dress was torn, and the hem was pushed up above my knee a bit revealing a ripped stocking. It really did look like he was going to rape me.

"What is this?" Jacob came running up with many men behind him. I recognized Sir Banner.

"Jacob, it's not what it seems." I tried to talk, but my throat was all scratchy. Nobody listened to me.

The man who was yelling at Edward before was helping me off the ground. A different man offered me a blanket. I took it willingly, and wrapped it around my cold body.

I looked over at Edward who was now handcuffed, and held by the shoulders by a strong man.

"What mad you think you could put your hands on my fiancée? Look at me, you filth!" I cringed from the word being yelled at my saviour. This gorgeous angel in front of me who was being treated as a criminal. Edward was staring at me intently, but moved his gaze to Jacob. "What did you think you were doing?!"

"Jake, stop! It was an accident!" I yelled, getting my voice back.

"An accident?" He turned to me, with a horrified look on his face.

"It was... stupid really. I was leaning over and I slipped." I covered. I looked at Edward, making eye contact, telling him to play along.

"I was leaning over to far to see the... um... the... ugh... oh, propellers. I slipped and I would have gone overboard, if it weren't for Mr. Masen here saving me. He almost went over himself."

"You wanted to see the propellers?" Jacob was starting to see through my lies.

The Master At Arms turned Edward to face him. "Was that the way of it?"

Edward looked over his shoulder at me. I widened my eyes to tell him to say yes.

"Yes, sir. That's the way it went." He agreed, turning back to the bulky man.

"Well! The boy's a hero then. Good for you son, well done!" Sir Banner was yelling to Edward. The Master of Arms was undoing the handcuffs.

"Let's get you in. You're freezing." Jacob wrapped an arm around my shoulders. It made me sort of uncomfortable.

"What about the boy? He deserves a reward." Sir Banner pointed out to Jacob who had already forgotten about him.

"Oh right. Mr. Clearwater," Jacob called over to his somewhat body guard. "A twenty should do it."

"Is that the going rate for saving the woman you love?" I asked lowly to him.

"Isabella is displeased. Mmm... what to do?" Jacob turned around to Edward, sauntering towards him, leaving me behind. "You could join us for dinner tomorrow, to regale our group with your heroic tale?"

_Your group,_ I said inside of my head.

"Sure," Edward looked at me straight in his eyes. His piercing green ones mesmerized me. "Count me in."

"Good, settled then." Jacob walked back to me. He wrapped an arm around my waist, as if to show everyone I belonged to him and only him.

Jacob laughed to Sir Banner and Mr. Clearwater. "This should be amusing."

I rolled my eyes at his immaturity towards the whole situation.

Mr. Clearwater turned towards Edward again and walked over to him. He better not hurt him!


End file.
